Student speakers announced for 146th annual Commencement Exercises

Ardavan Guity and Tong Song

On April 15, 2016, Provost Carol Erting announced the student speakers for the 146th annual Commencement Exercises, to be held on Friday, May 13, 2016, beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the Field House. Ardavan Guity, from Tehran, Iran, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in deaf studies, will speak on behalf of the undergraduate Class of 2016. Tong Song, '13, from Beijing, China, who is graduating with a Master of Public Administration degree, will speak on behalf of the graduate student class.

Guity attended a school for the deaf in Iran. He began his commitment to community service at age 12 as a UNICEF delegate for children and teenagers with disabilities. In 2005, he led the Iranian Center for the Deaf (ICD) and helped found its Deaf Youth Section. The following year, Guity represented the ICD at the Asian Youth Deaf Camp in Miyazaki, Japan. The experience inspired him to establish and lead the first Young Deaf Iranian Camp in 2007. In 2011, Guity served as a delegate for the World Federation of the Deaf Congress in South Africa and taught interpreters about International Sign Language at the SIGN5 Conference of Sign Language Users at Gazi University in Ankara, Turkey. From 2011 to 2012, he was a researcher at Alzahra University in Tehran, working on a sign language and deaf culture educational book and DVD for sign language interpreters.

After earning a degree in computer science at a university in Iran, Guity enrolled in Gallaudet's English Language Institute (ELI) in 2013 and became an undergraduate student in 2014. He has been a peer advisor for three years. In this capacity, he co-hosted several panel discussions, including a diversity panel, "Who Am I?" in March of this year. He has been accepted to Gallaudet's accelerated master's/doctorate program in linguistics for fall 2016.

Upon graduating from high school in 2008, Song came to the United States and began her studies in the ELI. In fall 2009, she began her undergraduate studies at the University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting in 2013. Song returned to Gallaudet in 2014 to pursue a Master of Public Administration degree. She also worked as a student assistant in Tutorial and Instructional Programs, managing tutorial appointments, tracking students' progress, and assisting in preparing tutorial materials, exhibits, and demonstrations. In addition, Song served as a teaching assistant in the Department of Business, working on research projects and developing new course materials, and volunteering with the department's Income Tax Assistance program, providing free tax return preparation. She is currently interning in the University's Finance Office.

The Student Commencement Speakers Committee was chaired by Don Miller, '99, of the Department of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies. Other committee members were Marina Dzougoutov, '02, of the Department of Art, Communication, and Theatre; Thuan Nguyen-Lakrik, '00, representing the Gallaudet Staff Council; Damien Spillane, '10, representing the Graduate Student Association; and Jaddua Johnston, representing the Student Body Government.

Hello,Please see the article from Rompers.com about Nyle DiMarco about his twin brother. Here is the link - https://www.romper.com/p/who-is-nyle-dimarcos-twin-brother-the-two-are-close-but-very-different-9414Enjoy reading this article:)Sheila MontneyExecutive DirectorDeaf Centre Manitoba Inc

Wednesday, 27 April 2016

Anyone interested to buy Kernels Popcorn with several flavours for Annika's fundraising program? Bags range in size from 20-55g and sell for $2.00. 8 flavors to choose such as White Cheese,Salt & Vinegar, Dill Pickle, Ketchup, Buttersalt, Jalapeno Jack, Cheddar Cheese and Creamy Caramel. The popcorn is whole grain produce made with non-GMO free corn, no Trans Fats, is Gluten Free and No-Nut product! The bag will last fresh up to two month expiration date. The money will be raised for equipment and activities for students at ETBA and ADFC to enjoy!! Contact Sheila by email - sheila.montney@gmail.com

Thursday, 21 April 2016

The opening reception between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on 22 April
and also plan to hear guest speaker Nicholas Burns at 8:00 p.m.

Show time on Saturday is 12 – 5 p.m. Graffiti artists
are returning to paint on the lawn. Lita Fontaine, Anishinawbe/Dakota artist,
will be leading anyone who wishes in the art of feather zentangles, ultimately
to create a community mandala. Two other artists on speaking on the theme
of Intersection: Shayani Turko at 2:00 and Gibril Bangura at 3:00. From
4-6 they will be hosting a community barbeque. All are welcome!

Show time on Sunday is 12 – 3 p.m. They have added
this time as we have invited a number of churches in the area to bring their
congregations to enjoy the artwork. It is of course also open to the
public.

Happy Spring! CAV has news to share about Canada’s Video Relay
Service (VRS).

Last February, we reported CAV had issued a Request for Proposal
(RFP) to select Video Interpreter Providers (VIPs). That process is
finished and CAV is pleased to announce the three companies who will
deliver the services of “SRV Canada VRS”.

The VIP who has been selected as the primary provider of ASL calls is
Convo. Convo is a Deaf-owned company from the US who has deep
experience with VRS.

Sign Language Interpreting Associates Ottawa, Inc. (SLIAO) has also
been selected to provide additional ASL VIP services. SLIAO is a
community-based interpreting company that has been providing
professional interpreting services in Canada for almost 20 years and,
more recently, video remote interpreting services.

Service d’interprétation visuelle et tactile (Sivet) is the company
who has been selected to handle the majority of LSQ calls. Sivet is a
Deaf-led, Montreal based non-profit company who has been providing
community based LSQ interpreting services for about 25 years.
Convo will also be working with CAV to develop operating standards
and will be responsible for training the other two VIPs to ensure
consistent quality and delivery of the video relay service.

Now that the VIPs are selected, we will begin building call centres
and integrating the video technology platform hardware and
software.

At the same time, CAV is testing the apps that you will use when VRS
is launched this fall on your PC, Mac, iOS and Android Devices.

There is still a lot to do, but we are making excellent progress
towards making “SRV Canada VRS” a reality.

To keep up to date with information, go the website at www.cav-acs.ca and register for CAV
updates.

A campaign that started as a dreamy idea over
coffee became bigger and more successful than we could ever
have imagined. Your support made this campaign a success. This is not
an ending, this is a beginning.

If you didn't have a chance to attend the event last night, you can see
the video of the remarks and our final video by clicking here.

Tuesday, 19 April 2016

Five More Hours to Vote

You have 5
more hours to get to the polls and make your choice. Your vote, your
choice could mean the difference between real progress on disability
issues through to 2020 and beyond, on the one hand, or more years of
inadequate resources and attention, on the other.

We'll also be live
on Periscope at various times throughout the evening - be sure to keep an
eye on your Twitter feed to tune in, or catch up on the recordings that
will be available for 24 hours after the event.

Additional consultation is planned regarding proposed zoning
change from R1 to R2 south of Corydon Avenue

The
City would like to thank all those who submitted their feedback on the
Corydon Osborne Area Plan implementation at the open house, by email, and
through online surveys. We received over 150 submissions.

The Winnipeg Public Service has reviewed the feedback that has been
submitted up to this point.

We would like to provide a brief summary of what we have heard so far.

1. The majority of respondents support the
Planned Development Overlay (PDO) and the design review process that would
be required for developments other than single-family residential.

2. The majority of
respondents also support the proposed Transit Oriented Development (TOD)
zoning district, which would allow additional height and density for
properties that are immediately adjacent to rapid transit stations.

3. For the Medium Density Residential,
Higher Density Residential, and Low Rise Mixed Use Residential Areas, which
are primarily north
of Corydon Avenue, the majority of respondents support rezoning
properties from “R1” to “R2”.

4. For the Lower Density Residential Area,
which is south
of Corydon Avenue, and includes the streets Jessie Avenue, Warsaw
Avenue, and Mulvey Avenue, feedback on rezoning properties from “R1”
to “R2” was mixed. While some respondents in this area support the
proposed rezoning, we received a number of responses that indicated
concerns with the proposed zoning change.

Based on this feedback, the Public Service has
determined that for the proposed rezoning from “R1” to “R2” in the Lower
Density Residential Area, additional engagement will be carried out prior
to the scheduling of a public hearing.Next
Step – Continuing the ConversationThe City will undertake further public engagement for the
proposed change from “R1” to “R2” in the Lower Density Residential
Area. This will include a workshop focused on the rezonings,
including options. There will also be tools to engage online.

It is anticipated that public engagement for the next phase of the project
will take place in June
2016, including a workshop. The City
will notify residents in the Lower Density Residential Area by mail once we
have confirmed details.

We'll also be live
on Periscope at various times throughout the evening - be sure to keep an
eye on your Twitter feed to tune in, or catch up on the recordings that
will be available for 24 hours after the event.

Monday, 18 April 2016

The
Resource Centre for Manitobans who are Deaf-Blind (RCMDB) is a non-profit
organization that provides services for adults who have various degrees of
vision and hearing loss.

Description
of Duties:

RCMDB
is looking for volunteer drivers to go with Deaf-Blind individuals in your own
vehicle to their appointments and then pick them up to return home. Volunteers
will be working one on one with a Deaf-Blind individual. Cross Cultural
training will be provided by RCMDB.

Skills
Gained:

This
is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in pro-tactile communication
skills. Utilize existing skills, gain valuable career-related experience, make
a profound difference in the life of one individual and contribute to
strengthen your community.

Skills
Required:

The
volunteer will assist with mobility guiding, transportation, and environmental
orientation. Trust and commitment are an important part of volunteering.

Interested
volunteers, please contact Angela Mayen at amayen-obregon@rcmdb.net to obtain
further information and opportunities for training. All volunteer drivers must
have a good driving record, a safe non smoking vehicle and provide both a
drivers abstract and a criminal record check. Parking and mileage can be logged
and kept for reimbursement.